2025 - Summer

4-Week Toolkit: City Streets: The Art of Observation (2-credit) (6/2 – 6/30)

Course Number: SS0: JOUR-UA 25.TK

Day & Time: Mon/Thur 5:30-8:30 pm

Location: 20 Cooper Sq.

Albert Class Number: TK

Instructor: Anna Kodé

In New York, much of life takes place in the public sphere of the city’s streets, sidewalks and subways. In mere moments, a block can shift from a protest site to a marketplace to a stage. This course will center the urban streetscape as a lens to explore culture, style, urban design, architecture and history.

There are countless stories waiting to be told, right in front of our eyes, as we go about life in New York City. What are those orange funnels sticking out of the ground all over the streets? Is the water that drips from the subway dangerous? Is there a reason for the green globes by subway stations? It’s also where one can find some of the city’s quirkiest characters, including performers and street vendors.

In this course, you will develop strong observational, reporting and writing skills. You will be trained on how to identify potential stories and what angles to explore. You’ll be taught interview techniques and how to write with whimsy — these stories are great opportunities for experimenting and being artful with writing. You will also learn how to pitch editors at publications and how to share their works in multimedia formats, such as by filming informative vertical videos for TikTok or Instagram.